In GTA: San Andreas, it is primarily based on the BMW E34, with a rectangular headlights (as opposed to signature round headlights found on 1980s BMW models).

While the Sentinel is usually a common car in the streets in most Grand Theft Auto titles, it is significantly rare in GTA: Vice City Stories.

The Grand Theft Auto Advance rendition does not appear to have a clear source of inspiration for its design, but retains its slender 4-door sedan look. While the car isn't generally associated with any gang, the GTA Advance rendition is an exception, serving as the gang car for an unspecified mafia in the game, taking over the role of the Mafia Sentinel, the mafia variant of the Sentinel.

Grand Theft Auto IV

The Übermacht Sentinel in GTA IV is now redesigned into a two-door sports coupe, based on the BMW E46 M3 in chassis design, as well as the entire front, though the grille is one piece. The rear however, seem to be inspired by the older E36 and E39. However it appears to have smaller body, making it also similar to the BMW 1 Series coupé.

Also visible are miniscule STD badges in front of the doors, near the sideskirts and front wheel wells. STD stands for "Sentinel Tuning Division", likely a play on Subaru's STi marque and BMW's in-house tuning division, BMW M, but also a reference to the acronym for "sexually transmitted disease." The format in which it is written is also similar to that of Subaru's STI division.

The Sentinel can be found with silver, gold, and black painted alloy rims, all with a chrome lip. It is equipped with a GPS system with a female voice, but only if the player leaves the "selected cars" (default) option in the audio menu.

Grand Theft Auto V

The Sentinel is redesigned once again in GTA V, inspired by the newer BMW E93 convertible, however, it has the design of a 328i Convertible with performance that isn't similar).

There are elements from the E92 M3. The car also has little style ques from the Lexus ISF USE20; this is noticeable in the front grille. It is available as a hard top convertible, based on the E92 coupe. The wheels featured on this model bear a striking resemblance to Volk Racing GT30 or RE30 wheels. The same wheels are shared with the Feltzer and the Fusilade.

The front face of the car has an overall appearance similar to the M3, but has some minor differences: the headlights appear more like those found on the Subaru Impreza (second facelift), and the grille is a single unit as opposed to the trademark "kidney" grille found on BMW models.

The rear of the car is based mainly on the Saab 9-3, especially with the curvature of the front grille components, headlight configuration and bumper alignment. Unlike the 3-series that this model is based on, the exhaust tips sit just outside the outer edges of this area, and are oval as opposed to twin-circles.

After the 1.10 update, both the Sentinel and its XS variant have been reclassed to a "Sports" car, instead of its former "Coupes" category. The reason for the sudden category change is unknown and somewhat inaccurate due to the fact that it is a compact executive coupe rather than a sports car. However, this was reverted back to the "Coupes" category, along with all of Übermacht's vehicles, in the 1.11 update.

Performance

3D Universe

With a sturdy engine in all its appearances, the Sentinel has a decent top speed and acceleration despite its heavy weight. The car handles well, although it suffers from body roll in GTA Vice City Stories. It comes with good drifting properties, although its RWD layout sometimes leads to oversteer and tailspins; these problems are more apparent in the GTA San Andreas rendition, due to its lighter weight distribution and softer suspension. In GTA San Andreas, the Sentinel is the second fastest four-door car in the game. Also, the Sentinel in all games are known to be durable due to its luxury build and heavy weight, which can withstand large amounts of damage before destroyed, making it a suitable choice for street racing, pursuits, getaways and as a cover in shootouts.

Grand Theft Auto IV

As a sport compact executive coupe, the GTA IV Sentinel reaches a superb top speed, but not far from the fastest vehicles in the game. It has above-average acceleration, and reaches its top speed fairly quickly as well. The Sentinel's suspension is rather soft, and it tends to roll when going around tight bends at high speed; the rear of the car also tends to bounce about when traveling on uneven roads. Its handling is above average, but at high speeds it loses a lot of grip and easily spins out of control due to the lack of weight in the rear. But if controlled right, its speed and grip can be combined to produce almost-professional like drifts that can be used to slide into sharp turns and back alleyways to evade the police without difficulty. Nonetheless, it is arguably the best choice in the modern category in multiplayer racing.

Grand Theft Auto V

Returning to GTA V, the car has massive improvements, such as increase top speed and acceleration, braking distance and gear shifting. Crash deformation is acceptable, and can take multiple crashes to even deform the front end. The engine is strangely exposed to gun-fire, taking the most damage from gun-fire, which is strange to say it is completely covered. Crash deformation at higher speeds is high (quarter panels of the car may look to be "glitched" into the wheel wells if hit hard enough), and it isn't hard with this car to make the wheels jam in crashes, but the car can withstand a surprising amount of frontal impacts without failing. The Sentinel is a decent car to use in online races and is even better in freemode sessions, thanks to its very smooth and precise driving which compensates for its (relatively) low acceleration compared to other cars.

Sentinel XS

The tuned version of the Sentinel, featured in GTA Vice City, GTA Vice City Stories, GTA IV, and GTA V, which has a better top speed and acceleration than the regular one. Curiously the standard Sentinel is more expensive than the XS model in GTA V.

Special Variants

In GTA Vice City, a unique black Sentinel is the target's getaway vehicle in the mission "Hit The Courier". The player can obtain the car by diligently killing the driver of the car as soon as she enters it, but must not exit the car and close its door until they enter a garage or complete the mission, as the car will lock itself again.

In GTA IV, a Sentinel is requested as part of Stevie's Car Thefts, appearing with a uniquely candy blue and black body color, similar to that of the "XS" Sentinel. As a new Sentinel will respawn at the same spot until the player delivers one to S&M Auto Sales, the player can save one at their safehouse before delivering another.

In GTA IV, a variant of the Sentinel badged "Sentinel XS" spawns with more external components, giving the car an aggressive appearance. While the car gains XS badges, it shares the model, gxt2 (entry) name, handling and any scripts with the regular Sentinel, while all other GTA series renditions of the Sentinel XS have separate models, handling and names.

Prominent Appearances in Missions

Grand Theft Auto III

In the mission "Bait", Catalina has sent three Colombian Cartel death squads to kill Claude. The death squads consist of three Sentinels with four men each; the Sentinel was picked as these are the fastest and best-handling four-door vehicle (excluding emergency vehicles). Claude is directed to lead the Colombians into a Yakuza ambush organized by Asuka.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Running Dog - If you don't kill the fugitive, he will jump some fences before entering in a Sentinel with another Vagos member.

Sentinels are also used as cover in the mission "The Green Sabre", when the player and Sweet must resist the onslaught of the Ballas under the Mulholland Intersection. Some were already there, and two carry Ballas gang members.

Four Sentinels are featured during the mission Mountain Cloud Boys: One is destroyed during the shooting in the alleyway, while another is used by Carl and Woozie to escape, being necessary to destroy other two driven by the enemy gang.

Kent Paul is seen driving a dark blue Sentinel to the airport in the GTA San Andreas mission Saint Mark's Bistro; a unique grey Sentinel can also be seen in the court yard of Marco's Bistro during this mission.

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

The Sentinel is prominently featured multiple times in GTA Liberty City Stories, all of which are depicted with a dark gray/black body color:

Four black Sentinels are prominently driven by hitmen hired by Ma Cipriani in "No Son of Mine"; as soon as the hitmen exit one such Sentinel, the player can easily attain the car. The cars are programmed to be heavy, which allows the player to push aside other cars without affecting the Sentinel's performance or trajectory.

The same form of Sentinels mention above can also be found during "A Walk in the Park", when Roger C. Hole and his body guards arrive at Belleville Park in three such cars parked in a row. Once the player manages to kill R.C. Hole and the body guards before they reach their cars, the player can take any of the cars to their garage; otherwise, if R.C. Hole manages to flee to the second car, the car's weight is reset to normal while the first and third cars retain their heavy weight. The Sentinels also received increased health for the mission.

The last appearance of the black Sentinel is during "Making Toni", when it serves as the player's mode of transport for the mission and is fireproof. The car can be obtained by partially submerging the car in a shallow shoreline, failing the mission; otherwise, the car is driven away by Mickey Hamfists in the end of the mission.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories

Grand Theft Auto IV

Wrong is Right - The target used a lustered black Sentinel to meet his partner, then used it to flee to Algonquin. The player can obtain the vehicle by shooting the Target in head, then after the mission passes, get on the car and save it as usual. Although in rare occasions it may makes the vehicle flips and unobtainable.

During Out of Commission, the final mission in the revenge story arc, the Sentinel XS is used as roadblocks during the casino shootout. This Sentinel XS is special, having a unique yellow luster effect.

Sometimes spawns on the stretch of road outside the safe house in Party Mode.

Grand Theft Auto V

The Sentinel is only featured in two of GTA V's missions.

In the mission Father/Son, Michael and Franklin take Amanda's red Sentinel and use it to save Jimmy from the men who steal Michael's yacht. However, after Franklin jumps from the yatch and is caught in the Sentinel, the Sentinel's engine breaks down due to it being shot several times by the thieves. This then prompts the player to take the car to Los Santos Customs to repair it, which also introduces them to car modding.

Spawns in the parking lot next to the control tower at Francis International Airport in Dukes. However, stealing it can be difficult because the player will attain a 4 star wanted level for driving in the airport.

Grand Theft Auto V

Amanda's Sentinel occasionally (always after the final mission) spawns at Michael's house, when she is at home. If the player (as Franklin or Trevor) takes Amanda's Sentinel, they will get a text message from Michael to return the car.

Grand Theft Auto Online

Simeon sometimes will want a Sentinel XS for his vehicle list. The standard Sentinel may spawn more often when the XS does, allowing the player to obtain one. Once the player obtains an XS, keep driving around Vinewood Hills and Rockford Hills until the convertible spawns. This triggers more to spawn.

Rewards

Grand Theft Auto Online

Trivia

General

The names of the three Ubermacht vehicles are references to the movie "The Matrix". The Oracle is a reference to the computer program that helps humans fight the machines, the Zion is a reference to the last human city, and the Sentinel is a reference to the machines the humans are at war with.

The Sentinel plays the following radio stations by default when entered:

The vehicle takes its name from the Middle English slang term sentinel which means to watch over or guarding.

This is likely a reference to the popular culture that BMW cars are a stereotypical vehicle for wealthy people, bodyguards and gangsters.

Grand Theft Auto III

Grand Theft Auto III used photographs and decals for textures. Evidence of this is on the Sentinel's rims. The Sentinel's rims actually have Honda logos. This applies to all the GTA III vehicles using the 5-spoke rims that the Sentinel used.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

If the player purchases a Sentinel at the Easter Basin Docks in GTA San Andreas, sometimes the front registration plate will read "DO NNY", however the rear one still retains the original plate number found on every Sentinel.

As referenced in the cargrp.dat file, it, alongside the Admiral and Feltzer are the gang cars of the Mafia gang, which does not spawn anywhere on the streets without glitches.

Grand Theft Auto IV (and Episodes)

The trunk of the Sentinel is glitchy and some parts will refuse to fall off the car even if the trunk is almost completely destroyed, giving the impression of a floating trunk.

Grand Theft Auto V

If Amanda's Sentinel is taken by Franklin or Trevor in GTA V, Michael will text the player, saying "I'd put the car back before Amanda takes a contract out on you. bro" or "Amanda knows you've got her car, and she's on the warpath".

If Franklin or Trevor drives a Sentinel stolen from a civilian to Michael's house, Michael will text them even if it wasn't Amanda's Sentinel.

If the player takes Amanda's Sentinel and then calls someone to hang out, it will be locked when dropping him/her off. It is possible to fix this by switching to another character then changing back to the first one.